Governor Voices Support for Greater Transparency During Legislative Sessions

Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford today at a Board of Public Works meeting announced the Hogan administration's support for HB 316 – Live and Archived Video Streaming of Meetings. This bill requires the Maryland General Assembly to provide live streaming and archived video of floor and voting sessions in the House of Delegates and Senate.

“Maryland citizens deserve accountability and transparency from their elected leaders, especially when modern technology should make access easy and inexpensive,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This is a common-sense piece of legislation, and I applaud the bill’s bipartisan sponsors – Delegates Kathy Szeliga and David Moon – for their commitment to ensuring transparency in state government.”

The governor's office currently live streams and archives year-round Board of Public Works meetings at an annual cost of only $3,000-$3,500. Currently, Maryland is one of seven remaining states that do not offer similar video streaming or recordings of legislative floor sessions.

HB 316 is also supported by Common Cause Maryland – a nonpartisan group dedicated to promoting open, honest, and accountable government.